Lately I've been facing a number of difficulties in my life and have even felt despair over them. Of all the things that have helped, making myself do something nice, good, beneficial, for my family, a congregant, a stranger, has helped me the most. Not only does it take my mind off it, but it does something more.
In the parshah this week, Jacob arrives to his uncle Laban's. He falls in love with Rachel. To marry her, Jacob agrees to work for seven years, and after he is tricked by Laban into marrying Leah instead, forced to work another seven.
The Torah says the following about this:
"So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her."
When we are working with love in our hearts, even if things are difficult, that feeling, that emotion, allows us to go on.
When I can think about the happiness or the ease that it will bring to one of my family members by stepping up and doing something for them, or reaching out to anyone in need, there is love in that action. You help that person, you help yourself, you spread love, and you find that the grip your hardships have on you is loosened.
And maybe you realize the one other thing I have also found.
The commentator, Sforno, about the "seven years" reference, observes, "he considered himself as having struck a good bargain, considering Rachel as worth far more than seven years of his labour."
If we can realize this, our motivation to help others, the sharing of love, and the lessening of the hurt of our troubles is compounded exponentially. Just think - how lucky am I that I have the opportunity to do this for this other person! Certainly, we should strive to have this in mind about our loved ones at all times. But we should think of even the stranger as being as precious to us as Rachel is to Jacob. How fortunate I can do something for this random person, my troubles are nothing compared to this chance to help.
I hope you all have Rachels in your life, precious beloved ones, and total strangers. And more importantly, I hope you act with kindness towards them, even when it's hard. It may turn out it isn't so bad afterall.
Shabbat Shalom
